The present invention relates to a pasta product and to a process for manufacturing the pasta product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,846 discloses an edible molding composition comprising starch, sodium caseinate, glycerol, and an emulsifier, which may be used for manufacturing biodegradable packaging films or containers by extrusion or injection molding.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,440 discloses an injection molding apparatus and process for manufacturing food or pet food products having tridimensional shapes, such as a bone shape for dogs or fish shape for cats, from a mixture of meat meal and wheat flour.
The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing a pasta product. The process involves extruding a dry or semi-dry ground cereal having a water content of less than about 20 percent by weight of the ground cereal at a pressure of from about 10 to 500 Mpa to provide a pasta product. The pressure may be from about 30 to 450 Mpa. The water content of the ground cereal may be between about 8 and 20 percent by weight of the ground cereal flour. The ground cereal may be flour or semolina of Durum or hard wheat, rice, corn, or a mixture thereof. The process may further include adding to the ground cereal one or more additives selected from the group consisting of protein, soft wheat flour, egg material, sodium chloride, spices, and mixtures thereof. The process may also include a step wherein the ground cereal is heated to a temperature of from about 30 to 150xc2x0 C. The pasta product may be dried to a residual water content of from about 6 to 13% by weight of the pasta product.
The dry or semi-dry ground cereal may be extruded using a device comprising a piston and a nozzle; an extruder and a nozzle; a gear pump and a nozzle; injection molding equipment comprising a barrel, screw, and nozzle; or a string press comprising a piston, recipient, and die. The dry or semi-dry ground cereal may be extruded using a device comprising a screw enclosed in a jacketed barrel, the screw being rotatable and longitudinally translatable in the barrel, with the barrel having a downstream end terminating with a nozzle. The dry or semi-dry ground cereal may also be extruded using a device comprising a piston, a press plate or a lock, a recipient, and a die.
The invention also relates to a pasta product prepared according to the method of the invention.
The present invention is directed to a novel method for making a pasta product. The process involves dry or semi dry extrusion of a ground cereal. The resulting pasta product is a dry or semi-dry, ground cereal extrusion product.
The phrase xe2x80x9cdry or semi dry extrusion,xe2x80x9d as used herein means extrusion wherein no additional water is added to or only a relatively small amount of water is added to the ground cereal that is extruded.
The ground cereal used to manufacture the pasta product may be, for example, a flour or semolina of Durum or hard wheat, rice, corn, or a mixture thereof.
One or more additional additives may be added to the ground cereal before it is extruded. The one or more additional additives include, but are not limited to, wheat protein, especially gliadin enriched wheat protein; soft wheat flour; egg material; sodium chloride; spices; and the like.
Wheat protein, especially gliadin enriched wheat protein, such as the product marketed under the name Lavor Pro (commercially available from Midwest Grain Products, Inc. Of Atchison, Kans.), may be used in an amount of from about 0.5 to 5 percent, preferably about 1 to 3 percent by weight, in order to reduce stickiness and improve firmness of the cooked pasta.
Soft wheat flour may be added in order to increase the elasticity of the pasta product. The soft wheat flour is added in conventional amounts.
Egg material in the form of whole egg powder, egg white powder, or liquid whole egg may be added in order to increase the firmness of the pasta product. The egg material is added in conventional amounts.
In the process of the invention, no water, or only a very small amount of water, is added the ground cereal that is extruded. The ground cereal that is extruded has a total water content of less than about 20%, preferably from about 8 to 20%.
The mixture of dry or semi-dry ground cereal with wheat protein, soft wheat flour, egg material, sodium chloride, spices, and water may be prepared by any means available to those or ordinary skill in the art. For example, the mixture may be prepared with traditional bread or pasta making equipment such as baker""s mixer and kneader, paddle mixer, mono- or twin screw kneader, or in the barrel of traditional equipment for injection molding of plastics.
The dry or semi-dry ground cereal or mixture of dry or semi-dry ground cereal and additives is extruded under a pressure of from about 10 to 500 MPa, preferably about 30 to 450 Mpa, and more preferably about 40 to 425 Mpa.
The dry or semi-dry ground cereal or mixture of dry or semi-dry ground cereal and additives may be heated to a temperature of from about 30 to 150xc2x0 C., preferably from about 30 to 120xc2x0 C., and more preferably from about 30 to 90xc2x0 C. before or during the extrusion step. Therefore, it is preferable that the extrusion means is capable of heating the mixture and can be temperature controlled.
Any type of extrusion means available to those of ordinary skill in the art may be used to extrude the dry or semi-dry ground cereal or mixture of dry or semi-dry ground cereal and additives. The extrusion means may comprise, for example, a piston and a nozzle; an extruder and a nozzle; a gear pump and a nozzle; the barrel, screw, and nozzle of a traditional equipment for the injection moulding of plastics; or the piston, the recipent and the die of a string press for pressing of metal wires.
In one embodiment, the extrusion is carried out with equipment typically used for injection molding plastics, wherein the extruder comprises a screw enclosed in a jacketed barrel, the screw being rotatable and longitudinally translatable in the barrel, and the barrel has a downstrean end terminating in a nozzle.
In another embodiment the extrusion is carried out with typical equipment for pressing metal wires, wherein the extrusion means comprises a piston, a press plate or a lock, a recipient, and a die.
The dry or semi dry extruded pasta product emerging from the extruder has a water content of less than about 20 percent, preferably from about 8 to 20 by weight of the pasta product. The resulting pasta product may have any gelatinization degree, i.e., the gelatinization degree may be from 0 to 100%.
Optionally, the dry or semi dry extruded pasta product may be further dried to a residual water content of from about 6 to 13%.
Conventional methods of manufacturing pasta typically involve extruding a dough that comprises 2 parts flour with 1 part of water (i.e., 33 percent water). The process of the present invention, however, extrudes dry or semi-dry ground cereal having a much lower water content of less than about 20%. Thus, the resulting pasta product contains less water and can be dried more easily and efficiently. Surprisingly, the method of the invention provides a pasta products having a unique texture and good organoleptical properties which are comparable to those of traditional pasta products.